Skip to main content

Weaves in the White House?

Now that there's a real possibility of having a Black family in the White House, I've been thinking about what that really means for America. Yes, it will be a historic accomplishment, but what will it mean for those of us who struggle daily to define ourselves in this BET-infested culture? More importantly, how will Barack and Michelle's presence be interpreted by White America? Here are some of the things I've been pondering...

1. What will they think when Michelle pulls out the hot comb to do either her or her children's hair? Better yet, what if she decides to get a weave? Most of us will agree that sistas take pride in our hair and our ability to change it. If Michelle comes out with short hair one day, long hair the next, and braids after that, how will America take it? Even though Condolleezza Rice has been a high-profile woman of African American descent in Washington for many years, her look hasn't changed -- much to our chagrin.

2. Michelle and Barack's relationship -- the good and the bad -- are now open to American scrutiny. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it'll be interesting to see how the media reports on Black Love in Action. We've already seen how tripped out they were by the "fist bump."

3. My sincere hope is that the Obamas' presence on the world stage will shatter the stereotypes perpetuated by BET. Even though it's ludicrous to us, there are people in the world who really believe that were all a bunch of hyper-sexed, ghetto-fied imbeciles who speak poorly and can't control our tempers. The grace and style of Michelle and Barack will go a long way to dispel those myths.

4. I love the fact that Michelle Obama is a dark-skinned sista. Please know and trust, I don't mean in any way to disrespect my lighter-hued sistas, but I think it says something when the future president of the United States chooses a woman who can't be mistaken for any other ethnicity to be his life partner. We've all seen the brothers who, for some reason or another, feel like they haven't arrived until they get a blonde on their arm. The fact that Barack chose a sista who looks more like me and less like Halle Berry makes me proud. I hope other successful brothers will follow suit.

Now you know my thoughts. How about sharing some of yours? I'd love to know what's on your mind...

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Middle Aged Rant

I am single. I’ve never had a husband. I’ve never given birth to a child. I’ve never lived with a man over six months. I am 54. I’m not classically pretty. I’m overweight. I’m not very tall. My brother says I’m a unicorn. My friends are kind enough not to make me feel small. My mother mentions in passing that she wants me to find a husband. I try not to be sad about my state. I’ve lived a life that some would find enviable. I had my dream job, met and interviewed great people, made great friends, and traveled all over the world. I have a new career that I find oddly fulfilling. Men don’t always like that. Some of them are jealous because I’m not easily impressed. Some are jealous because I’ve done things they haven’t. Some are jealous because I’ve lived on both coasts. I don’t know what to do. I can’t change my life – not that I want to. I can’t change my past – not that I want to. I can’t change myself –not that I want to. I just want someone to see me, not the image I present. I want...

The Five Commandments of Houseguests

It's Sunday night, and I just put one of my girlfriends on the plane. She's a great person, but this weekend wore on me like none other. In her defense, she's in mourning. Her husband just died in September, and she's learning how to live again. They had been together since high school and now he's gone. That being said...there was NO excuse for the way she acted this weekend. Please understand...I'm not perfect. Never have been. And now that I'm 40, I don't feel the need to apologize for it. But NO ONE gets to make me feel inferior in MY house. Absolutely not! My house wasn't exactly in tip-top shape. I work two jobs, sing in the church choir, and try to work out with my trainer twice a week. So my house wasn't really ready for her. Then I realized that my mind wasn't ready for her, either. Even when we were in school, she wasn't the friend I could hang out with every day. More than that, she came with the very mentality th...

To Cook or Not to Cook

I was having a discussion with a couple of friends about whether or not a woman should be required to cook for a man. My girlfriend and I pretty much agree that we have to be inspired to bust a move with the pots and pans. In this day and age where the men we've encountered feel entitled to certain privileges, we believe that he has to do more than just call us a couple of times and come over to kick it to earn a MackDiva-licious meal. On the flip side, the brother we were talking to said he didn't really want to get serious with a woman whose idea of a culinary feat was tacos. We asked him whether he'd cook for his woman. His response? "Well, if I really wanted to impress her, I'd throw it down with my jerk chicken recipe." Upon further examination, we discovered that his need to impress was in direct correlation to some form of inspiration from the woman. At the end of the day, both men and women want a lot of the same things. However, because we speak diffe...